


Cupid's Arrow

by Mythica



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: 4x16, F/M, Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 08:06:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6186877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythica/pseuds/Mythica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cupid starts attacking people at their wedding.  Speculation fic for the A-storyline from 4x16.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a thought about what might happen during the A-storyline in 4x16. Of course, the writers hate Olicity fans so I'm sure they'll drag out the angst, but of course, I have to have a happy ending. :)

The couple looked at each other with love in their eyes. Holding each others hands tightly they couldn’t get the smile from their faces as they rode in the limo. Their wedding had been perfect and now they were starting off their life together. Leaning in, they gave each other a loving kiss before going back to just looking at each other.

“Ah, true love.”

Both of them looked forward when they heard their driver’s voice. They hadn’t expected to hear anything from her except to let them know when they would arrive at their destination. Maybe she just enjoyed newlyweds.

“I bet you had a beautiful wedding,” she remarked, looking into the rear-view mirror.

“It was,” the bride agreed, looking back at her new husband. “It was just… perfect.”

“I used to love weddings,” the driver continued as she turned a corner. “The flowers, the music, the looks of love from the person you were meant to be with… To have and to hold, from this day forward…” As she looked into the mirror, she took another sharp turn, causing the newlyweds to lose their balance. The bride looked up at her in confusion while the groom looked outside, not recognizing where they were going.

“… Til death do us part.”

The husband noticed the speed of the limo picking up as he gripped his new wife’s hand tightly. Looking out through the windshield, he could see them heading right for a wall.

“What’s going on?” he asked with fear in his voice.

The driver just laughed an evil laugh as she crashed through the wall, eliciting a scream from behind her. Her path never deviated as the car speed down the inside of a warehouse. Slipping the car into neutral, the driver opened the car door, grabbed a bow and quiver from next to her, and threw herself out. She rolled to a stop before watching the limo careened into an electrical junction box, causing sparks to fly. Inside the limo, the couple tried to get out, but they found their doors had been locked and they could not release them. The driver got to her feet and picked up her bow, pulling an arrow from the quiver and nocking it in place.

“Doesn’t love hurt?” she asked quietly before loosing the arrow, striking the gas tank and allowing the fuel to flow out. The sparks from the electrical box caused the fuel to catch fire, causing the car to burst into flames. The driver just watched her handiwork with a smile as the flames engulfed the car. 

>>>\---------------->

Oliver looked at the cards in his hands, still wondering if this was the right thing to do. He had to admit, he didn't see a reason not to do it, but he still wasn't sure. HIVE was still out there even if Damien Darhk was behind bars, but maybe that was the reason to do it. His city still needed saving.

“Are you ready?”

Oliver looked up to see Alex standing in front of him, looking almost as nervous as himself. It had been Thea and Alex that had convinced him to re-start his mayoral campaign. Soon after he had suspended it, the campaign office had been inundated with emails and letters, trying to convince Oliver not to drop out. The people of Star City saw what Oliver could bring to the office and they wanted him to know it. Now that William was safe and Darhk was behind bars, it was time to get back to business.

Oliver nodded as Alex lead him to the campaign office outer door. They had decided to make the announcement outside of the campaign office so that they would have time to get the interns back to work. With all of the press that had decided to show up, it would just be too crowded inside.

When Alex opened the door, Oliver was bathed in dozens of flashes going off. He could see half a dozen video cameras, all pointing at the podium that Alex had placed at the foot of the steps. Walking down to it, Oliver cleared his throat as he put the cards down. Taking a deep breath, he looked out and gave them a smile.

“Good morning,” he began as the flashes continued to go off. “Thank you for coming out. I know the past few weeks have had a lot of uncertainty and I'm hoping to clarify things a bit.

“Two weeks ago I suspended my campaign. There were some personal things I had to take care of before I could dedicate my attention to the campaign. Those things have now been handled and I am here today to announce that I am re-initiating my campaign for mayor of Star City.”

More flashes went off as he made his announcement, but he wasn't finished. “I wanted to thank all of my supporters who have stuck by me through these difficult times. I appreciate your support and without you, I wouldn't be here right now. Your emails and letters were heard and appreciated. I started this campaign in the hopes that I could do better by this city and I still hope to do so. You have shown me what could be accomplished if we stand united and we will continue to do so. Thank you.”

Oliver could hear the questions coming from the press, asking what the personal matters were, but he just turned and walked away. As he walked back into the campaign office, he let out a sigh as he ran his hand over his head. When Alex followed him in, he got a supportive pat on the shoulder.

“That was good,” Alex told him, giving him a small smile. “Now let's get things back on track.”

Oliver nodded as he pushed his hands into his pants pockets. It would be good to have a distraction again. It will help keep his mind off of other things... and people.

The door to the campaign office opened again as Captain Lance walked in. Oliver stood up straigher when he saw the police captain. He could tell something was wrong.

“I need to talk to you,” Quentin said, glancing at Alex to indicate that they needed to talk alone.

Oliver nodded and gestured to his office as the captain walked past. Walking into the office, Oliver crossed his arms and waited for what he had to say. Quentin let out a sigh and handed something wrapped in a cloth to Oliver. When Oliver unwrapped it, he found an arrow inside, but this wasn’t one of his or Thea’s arrows. The tip was red and in the shape of a heart.

“Looks like Cupid is back,” Quentin observed as Oliver stared at the arrow.

“That’s not possible,” Oliver replied. “ARGUS has her locked up.”

“Well, I’ve got witnesses at three crime scenes that say a woman matching her description was there. All of the crime scenes were at… get this… weddings.”

“Weddings?” Oliver repeated, looking at Quentin in surprise.

“Yeah. Seems like our girl here is targeting people getting married. She’s killed three couples in the past two days, the last one being last night. She posed as the couple’s limo driver and ran them into an electrical panel that torched their car.”

“That doesn’t sound like her,” Oliver remarked. “She’s fixated on people who save her.”

“Like the Arrow?” Quentin asked, already knowing the answer. “Wonder how she reacted when she found out he was dead.”

Oliver let out a sigh as he looked down at the arrow. “Probably not well.” If Carrie Cutter was free, he needed to find her. Maybe if she knew he was still alive, her killing spree would stop. Then he could work on getting her back to ARGUS.

>>>\---------------->

Felicity stared out the window of her office, not really focusing on anything in particular. Her mind was unfocused and she needed to do something to get it back. Usually work kept her mind occupied most of the day, but today wasn't a good day. Today, her mind was too occupied with him.

It had been two weeks since she walked... yes, walked... out of the loft. The strength in her legs wasn't what it had been, but she had at least made it down to catch a cab before collapsing. The evening had been such a blur. She didn’t even remember telling the driver to take her to John’s apartment, but she soon found herself standing outside of his building, wondering how she had gotten there. After a quick call to him, she had gone up only to collapse into his arms as she broke down. She didn’t know what she would have done without him. Both him and Lyla had been so wonderful to her and seeing little Sara had put at least a little smile back on her face. John had insisted that she stay with them as long as she wanted, but she only stayed a couple of days. She needed space and staying with the Diggle’s, no matter how wonderful it was, wasn’t the kind of space she needed. She needed to be alone.

The Palmer Tech building had been her home ever since. She knew Ray had stayed in the penthouse before and everything was still there. It made it easier for her to focus on her work, putting in longer hours than she normally would have. She still made her trips down to the lair, but she limited her exposure to him. She knew she was still needed and she wasn't going to stop helping just because they weren't together.

How had this become her life? She had been so happy, in love and planning to marry the most wonderful man she had ever known. But it had all been a lie. He didn’t trust her. He didn’t include her. He still kept making the same mistakes and expecting different results. Wasn’t that the definition of insanity? Maybe that’s what she was: insane. She was insane to think that he could let her in fully. She knew him better than anyone and she knew he didn't trust easily. She had just thought that after so much time together, he had at least started to trust her.

Looking down at her ring-less finger, she let out a soft sigh. It wasn’t all bad, right? They had some really great times together. She had seen a side to him she had never seen before. He was happier than she had ever seen him. And she had been happy. Why couldn’t that just be enough?

The sound of someone clearing their throat made Felicity jump slightly as she turned and saw Curtis standing in her doorway.

“Sorry,” he said with an apologetic smile.

“It’s fine, Curtis,” she told him as she walked back to sit at her desk. “What’s up?”

Curtis hesitated slightly before walking into her office. “I needed to go over the modifications to the battery that we discussed,” he informed her as he sat across from her, putting his tablet onto her desk. “But… it can wait, if you want.”

“Why would I want to wait?” Felicity asked curtly, folding her hands in front of her.

“Well, you seemed kind of… lost in thought,” Curtis observed.

“I’m fine,” she told him, pulling the tablet to her as she looked at the information displayed.

Curtis studied her for a moment before putting his hands together in his lap. “You know, you’re a terrible liar.”

“So I’ve been told,” she replied, trying to focus on the information in front of her.

“Did you see the press conference?” he asked. When he saw her flinch, he knew she must have.

“Yes,” she replied, taking in a deep breath. The press conference had been what had distracted her before. She really needed to focus on something else.

Curtis didn’t like seeing his friend in such turmoil. He needed to do something to make sure she knew she wasn’t alone. “Did I ever tell you that Paul and I almost didn’t get married?”

Felicity closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath. When she opened them again, she gave him a tight smile as she clasped her hands together. “I don’t think this is really the right time for this.”

“I disagree,” Curtis countered. “I think the longer you stay in here, locking your feelings away will only make things worse… for both of you.”

“I’m not locking my feelings away,” Felicity told him as she got up from her chair and crossed her arms. It was times like these that she wished she hadn’t told Curtis about their break-up. “I just have a lot of work to do.”

“And do you think you can focus on work like this?” he asked her with concern in his voice. “You don’t look like you’ve been sleeping.”

“I’m not used to the bed in the penthouse.”

“And when was the last time you had a good meal?”

Felicity unfolded her arms as she picked up a pen from her desk and started playing with it. When she saw it was red, she quickly dropped it and ran her hand across her forehead. “I got take-out yesterday.”

Curtis gave her a disbelieving look as he got up from his chair. “Felicity, you may be my boss, but you’re also my friend. It hurts to see you like this.”

Felicity looked up at him and tried to maintain her composure, but seeing the concern in his eyes made it difficult. “There’s nothing you can do,” she told him, trying to make her voice not shake.

“I can listen.”

“There’s nothing to say,” she explained, throwing her arms up in the air as a tear slid down her cheek. “He doesn’t trust me and I walked away. End of story.”

“I can’t believe that’s the end of your story,” Curtis told her as he gently guided her to sit on the couch with him. “I saw the two of you together. I can’t believe you’d just walk away from that. What you two have is special.”

Felicity took a deep breath as she looked down at her hands. “I thought it was too.”

“Then why are you giving up on it?”

Looking back up at him, Curtis could see the pain in her eyes. “I just… don’t know how to trust him anymore.”

Curtis gave her an understanding smile as he took a deep breath. “I can understand that. I did something before Paul and I got married that made him question his trust in me too.”

Felicity didn’t want to pry. It seemed like what he wanted to tell her wasn’t easy. “Curtis, it’s ok.”

“No, it’s fine,” Curtis told her, giving her a small smile. Hesitating to collect his thoughts, he took a deep breath and began. “I love my family. My parents have always supported me in what I do. They encouraged my creativity and let me tear countless small appliances apart just to see if I can make them work better. They were always fascinated by what I could build. But the one thing I knew that they wouldn't accept was that their genius son was gay, so... I never told them. When I started seeing Paul, it was like a new world was opened up in front of me. I had never felt that way about anyone before in my life, but I know that my family would not accept him. Paul frequently asked about my family. He's very close to his parents and they accept him for who he is. He had just assumed that my family was just as accepting. I didn't want to risk our relationship, so... I lied to him and told him my parents were dead.”

“I assume he found out,” Felicity surmised, eliciting a nod from Curtis.

“I was able to deflect them every time they asked about coming to see me,” Curtis explained. “I would visit them on the pretense of going to a work conference or something. I could tell Paul was getting suspicious about my trips though, especially since many of them happened around the holidays. Well, one year when I told my parents I couldn't visit over the holidays... they decided to surprise me by coming here.”

“Oh no...”

“Yeah.” Curtis closed his eyes and scrunched up his face as he continued the story. “Paul and I were living together by then and when he answered the door, he was quite surprised when they introduced themselves as my parents. I came home from work to find them all talking in the living room. My parents just assumed Paul was my roommate.

“Needless to say, Paul wasn't very happy that I lied to him,” Curtis continued. “I explained my reasons behind it, but he told me that he would have understood had I told him. Not everyone is as accepting as his parents are. He knew that as well as I did. He would have followed my lead if he had known what was going on, but I didn't give him the opportunity to support me. Instead I lied to to man I love.”

Felicity looked down at her hands as she squeezed them together tightly. Just hearing Curtis's story brought back her own pain she had tried so desperately to hide.

“Well, he obviously forgave you,” Felicity observed.

“Yes,” Curtis agreed, “and I am so grateful he did.”

“Why did he?” Felicity asked as she tried to find a way to forgive Oliver.

Curtis sighed as he slumped back on the couch. “We love each other. Love isn't easy. There's always bumps in the road, but if you truly love someone, you love all of them, faults and all. He knows I have trouble letting him in sometimes, but as the years go by, I find it harder and harder to keep things from him. He can always tell when I'm hiding something and now, instead of letting it go, he calls me on it every single time.”

Felicity nodded as she thought back to when they returned from Central City. She knew he wasn't telling her something and even though she had asked him about it, he had just deflected it. Maybe she should have pressed harder, but she was scared he would close off even more. How can she know how hard to push before it's too much?

“Oliver doesn't trust easily,” Felicity told him as she looked down at her hands. “He's been through a lot in his life and trust wasn't something he could afford. I thought after almost four years, he trusted me.”

“When it's ingrained in you that deeply, it takes a long time to sort it out. I've seen how he is with you. He does trust you, probably more than anyone else, but it's probably always going to be an issue with him.” Reaching over to take her hand, he got her attention as she looked up. “He does love you though. That much is obvious.”

Felicity smiled as she held back her emotions. “I love him too. So very much. I just don't know if I can marry him if he's not going to let me into his life fully. Being married means getting through the hard times together. He has to learn that before we can go any farther.”

“And I'm sure he will... with your help.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to stop Cupid, but things don't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I have no patience. This is what happens when you write it all before posting any of it. I had thought to just post it as a long one-shot, but this is more fun.

“How did this happen?”

Oliver was in the lair, questioning Lyla when Felicity walked in. When he heard her footsteps, he glanced over her way and felt his chest grow tighter. Giving her a small smile, he turned back to Lyla as John’s hand settled on her back.

“After the last mission of Task Force X, Cutter was pulled out for a psych evaluation,” Lyla explained. “She kind of went even more crazy when Lawton died.”

“Lawton?” Oliver asked curiously.

“He saved her life,” John offered. “You know how she gets when someone saves her life.”

“She managed to kill the psychiatrist and her guards before breaking out of the ARGUS medical facility,” Lyla continued. “She’s been on the run ever since.”

“And when was that?” Oliver asked as Felicity took her place behind her computers.

“Four months ago.”

Oliver let out a sigh as he ran his hand across his face. “And Waller wasn’t able to re-capture her?”

“She’d gone dark,” Lyla revealed. “She just started showing up a couple of days ago at these weddings. We don’t know why she’s come back, but at least now we have a way of finding her.”

“So, she’s targeting weddings.” Oliver thought about it for a moment before turning to Felicity. He was glad she was still willing to work with them even after what had happened between the two of them. They couldn’t do what they did without her. “Felicity, can you check…”

“… when the next wedding in Star City is?” she completed, giving him a nod as she continued to type.

Oliver smiled and held back the urge to touch her shoulder. He loved how she always knew what he was going to ask her to do.

After a few mouse clicks, she sat back in her chair and turned to face the others. “There’s one tonight,” she explained. “At the Rosemont Hotel on 34th street.”

Oliver gave her an appreciative smile before turning back to John. “Want to crash a wedding?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

>>>\------------>

Oliver surveyed the area around the hotel, looking for any signs of Cupid. He was hoping to be able to find her before she went inside, but with the wedding getting ready to start, it didn’t look like luck was on his side. Shooting a grappling arrow across to the hotel, Oliver slid down to the other rooftop before making his way to the roof access staircase.

“She’s not outside,” Oliver said into his comms.

Inside the building, John looked around the ballroom. He was carefully checking all of the waiters and staff, making sure she wasn’t posing as one of them.

“No sign of her inside yet,” he said quietly. “The wedding is just getting ready to start.”

“Copy that,” Oliver replied as he headed down the stairs. He would keep out of view, making sure she didn’t get out of the building if she was there. When he arrived near the ballroom, he could hear the wedding beginning and he risked a glance into the room. As he saw the bride making her way down the aisle to her groom, he couldn’t help but imagine Felicity walking to him. His heart sank when he realized that his dream would never become a reality because of what he had done. Turning his view away from the scene, he took a deep breath and walked away, making sure to keep in the shadows.

Inside the wedding, John looked around, still on the lookout for Cupid. Lance had told them that the first two attacks had happened just after the groom had said his vows. The only reason the last attack was in the limo was that they had upped security because of what had happened before. Looking around the ballroom, John could see that this couple did not follow suit. If the attack didn't happen during the ceremony, chances are, she wouldn't attack at all.

Getting up from his chair, John walked out of the ballroom and contacted Oliver. “This might be a bust,” he told him. “Maybe she’s not going to show up.”

Oliver didn’t like the idea of leaving just yet. The vows hadn't started yet so there was still time. He had just made his way around the other side of the ballroom when movement caught his eye. Moving faster, he saw the door to the kitchen swinging closed as he slowly approached. Looking through the window, he saw her, punching and kicking kitchen workers, leaving a trail of unconscious bodies in her wake.

“She’s in the kitchen,” he said over the comms before pushing his way into the kitchen and checking on the people she had attacked. Once he was sure they were all still alive, he picked up the pace and found her staring out the window of the door leading to the ballroom. She pulled out an arrow and put it into her bow before pushing the door open slightly. She was just about to release it when she heard someone call out.

“Carrie, stop!”

Carrie turned around quickly, pointing the arrow in his direction. Letting an arrow fly, he knocked her bow from her hand as she watched it fall to the ground.

“I was wondering when you would show up,” Carrie remarked.

“You need to stop this,” Oliver told her, lowering his bow and taking a step forward. “I know you’re hurting, but killing people on their wedding day won’t make that pain go away.”

“What do you know of my pain?” she spat, taking a step towards him. “Have you ever had a broken heart?”

Oliver paused before lowering his voice. “Yes. And I know that nothing you do can make that pain go away. It’s going to stay with you for a long time. I know that even though the one you love is gone, you won’t just stop loving them. Not when they’ve become such an ingrained part of your life.”

Carrie smiled as she stepped closer to him. “You do understand,” she said sweetly.

“I understand how much it hurts to see them when you know you can’t be with them. How much you just want to hold them, but you aren’t allowed to. How much you just want to make everything alright just so you can be with them again.”

“But I can’t be with him again,” Carrie told him as tears filled her eyes. “He’s dead!”

Her sudden outburst caught him off guard as she lunged for him, knocking him back. Reaching up, Carrie grabbed a large frying pan and swung it down, hitting Oliver over the head and knocking him to his knees. When she saw John running into the kitchen, she dropped the pan, retrieved her bow and shot an arrow in his direction. He had to hide behind some hanging pots to avoid being hit and when he came back out, she was gone. Walking over to Oliver, he checked on him as Oliver let out a groan.

“I’m fine,” he told him as he slowly got to his feet. He could feel the blood sliding down his face from where she had hit him and his ears were still ringing, but he knew he’d recover. Letting out a sigh, he turned to his friend and pat him on the shoulder. This wasn’t going to be as easy as they had thought.

>>>\------------>

Felicity dabbed at the cut on Oliver’s forehead, trying not to hurt him too much. It was already starting to swell, but she needed to get the cut closed before she could give him something to take down the swelling. She didn’t want to look into his eyes for fear of what she might see. She had heard him over the comms when he was talking to Carrie. It was hard for her to hear him admit how he felt, especially since she knew she was the one who broke his heart.

After placing a butterfly bandage over his cut, Felicity reached down and picked up a cold pack, slapping it on the table to break the chemical pack inside. Mixing it up with her hands, she reached up and put the pack on his forehead, eliciting a small wince from Oliver. She knew it hadn’t really hurt him, but he always like to play it up when she was taking care of him.

“You need to keep this on,” she told him as he reached up to take the pack from her. Their hands touched momentarily causing Felicity’s breath to catch. When he heard her soft gasp, he looked at her as she looked into his eyes. She could see his heartache written all over his face as she stood so close. Averting her eyes, she pulled her hand away and backed off, picking up her supplies as she went. Oliver watched her for a few more moments before jumping off of the medical table and joining the others at the conference table.

“We need a different plan,” Oliver told them as he took a seat and kept the ice pack on his forehead.

“The only reason she comes out is for weddings,” Lyla confirmed. “She’s apparently very good at hiding.”

“We need to have better control of the situation,” Oliver told them, pulling down the ice pack momentarily before he noticed Felicity giving him a look. Letting out a sigh, he put the ice pack back on his head as he tried to think.

“We didn’t have enough people to watch all of the exits,” he continued. “That hotel wasn’t the easiest place to check.”

“Well, we didn’t have a lot of time to plan,” John reminded him.

“When is the next wedding?” Oliver asked as Felicity typed on her tablet.

“Apparently the word is getting out that someone is targeting weddings,” Felicity revealed. “There were more weddings planned, but they’ve been either postponed or canceled.”

When a frown came across Felicity’s face, Oliver grew concerned. “What?”

“There is one wedding that hasn’t been canceled yet,” she said sadly as she looked up at Oliver. “Ours.”

Oliver looked at her in surprise as she put her tablet down on the table. “You didn’t…”

“I didn’t think about it,” she revealed as she ran her hands over her head.

“And that’s the only one still listed as happening?” John asked.

Felicity nodded as she looked down at her hands, painfully aware of the ring missing from her finger.

John looked at Lyla and both of them knew what needed to happen. As they rose from their seats, John said, “We’ll leave you two alone.”

Oliver nodded as he watched the Diggle’s leave the area. When he looked over at Felicity, she was still looking down at her hands.

“We’ll find another way,” Oliver told her, knowing what doing something like this would do to her.

“How?” Felicity asked, finally looking up at him. “We know she doesn’t come out for anything other than weddings. Our engagement has been all over the news lately. No one even knows we…”

When she stopped, she turned to look back down at her hands. She didn’t need to finish. Oliver knew it hadn’t become public knowledge yet that their engagement had been ended.

“Felicity, we don’t have to do this.”

Felicity looked up at him and sighed. “Yes, we do.”

>>>\------------>

Carrie looked at the newspaper and smiled brightly. This one will get a lot of attention. Mayoral candidate marrying the Palmer Tech CEO? She looked at the picture and saw how they were looking at each other. So much love was in their expressions. They needed to know how much love could hurt.

Putting the newspaper up on the wall, she stood back and pulled out an arrow. Letting the arrow loose, it struck the paper right between the happy couple. If she couldn’t be with her true love, no one else would either.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity stage their wedding to lure Cupid out of hiding.

Felicity looked at herself in the mirror and tried not to cry. She should be happy wearing her wedding dress. It was suppose to be the happiest day of her life. She should be filled with excitement at the prospect of marrying the man she loved, but all she felt was overwhelming sadness for what could have been. If only he had trusted her. If only he had let her in, then this wouldn’t be just for pretend. How she wished it was.

Picking up a tissue, she gently dabbed her eyes, trying to make sure her make-up didn’t run. She needed to be happy on her wedding day. Cupid was targeting people happy and in love. She had to play her part.

“You look amazing.”

Felicity turned and saw Thea standing behind her, wearing her bridesmaid dress. She hated pulling Thea into this, but they had to make it look real. John was going to be there as Oliver’s best man and Laurel would be there, watching for Carrie. Lyla had enlisted some of her best ARGUS agents for the event as well, so hopefully, this would work.

Felicity tried to smile, but she found she could only move her lips so far. Another tear threatened to fall so she quickly brought the tissue up to her eye, preventing any streaking.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Thea asked as they both found seats to settle into.

“We have to stop her,” Felicity replied. “This is the only way.”

“But at what cost?” Thea asked, reaching over to take Felicity’s hand. “This has to be hard on you.”

“Well, it isn’t a walk in the park,” she agreed, “but I’ll manage.”

“You know he didn't want it to be this way,” Thea told her as Felicity looked back up at her. “He tried to find another way even after you had left the lair. Oliver doesn’t want this to just be a ruse, He’s told me before that you’re it for him. He said he could never love anyone as much as he loves you. That’s why I want to make sure you’re ok with doing this because this isn't going to be hard for just you.”

“I don’t know, Thea,” Felicity revealed. “I mean… I know we have to do it to catch Cupid, but… it’s going to feel so real. How can we do this to each other? It hurts so much just looking at him, but seeing him in that setting… I don’t know how I’m going to hold it together.”

“Then we should find another way,” Thea offered.

Felicity just shook her head as she turned back to the mirror. “No… no, I can do this. We have to stop her and if this is what it takes, then… let’s just get on with it.”

>>>\-------------->

Oliver couldn’t remember a time when a tuxedo felt so tight. Reaching up to adjust his collar, he cleared his throat as he tried to calm down. He knew that this wasn’t real, but looking around the room, it sure felt real.

A tap on his shoulder got his attention as he turned to see the agent playing the role of the minister giving him a smile. He knew that her appearance meant the ceremony would be starting soon. He didn’t know how long they’d have to wait for Carrie to make her appearance, but he was prepared for anything. He didn’t know if he could handle going through the whole ceremony, but he knew he had to try.

Once the 'minister' had taken her place, Oliver joined her, standing to her left near the archway covered in flowers. As the music began, he looked down the aisle to see his sister walking towards him with a smile on her face. It wasn’t as big of a smile that she would have been wearing on their real wedding day, but seeing her made him feel a little bit better. When he looked back down to the doorway, his breath caught in his throat when he saw Felicity holding onto John’s arm. She looked incredible.

For a moment, Oliver forgot that this was just a ploy to pull out Cupid from hiding. All he saw was the woman he loved, wearing a beautiful white dress, being escorted down the aisle heading right for him. He could tell by the look on her face that she was nervous, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of the wedding or what could happen during it. When she looked at him, he saw her smile a little and that practically knocked the wind from him. How could he have let this amazing woman slip away from him so easily? He made a mental note right then that he would fix what was broken between them because the next time she walked down the aisle to him, it would be for real.

As Felicity made her way to the archway, she could see Oliver staring at her. Just seeing his face made her a bit more relaxed. The way he was looking at her just took her breath away. How could she have ever doubted how much he loved her? As they reached the end of their travels, she handed her bouquet over to Thea and walked up to stand directly across from Oliver. The pain in her heart prevented her from smiling as much as she should be to keep appearances up. She purposely avoided looking at his eyes because she knew if she looked at him, she would lose it.

The ceremony started, but neither of them seemed to notice. Both were on edge, scanning the room for any sign of Cupid. When they realized the minister was telling them to do something, they tried to pay more attention. Hold hands? They could do that.

Oliver reached over and took her hands, rubbing small circles over them as he looked down at her. When she looked up and caught his gaze, she felt all of her walls come tumbling down. Standing before her was the man she loved more than anyone. Why couldn’t that be enough?

“Oliver, would you like to begin?” the minister was asking, causing Oliver to look at her in confusion.

“Hmm?”

“Your vows,” she clarified. 

Everyone knew this was where Cupid usually attacked, so it put most people in the room on edge. As Oliver looked at Felicity, he also felt tension, but it wasn't about the potential of an upcoming attack. He had written some things down for their vows before their break up, but he hadn’t completed them. Now that he was standing in front of her, he found he didn’t even know what to say.

“Um…” Looking down at Felicity, he let out a nervous laugh. “You know I’m not good with words. That’s why I have someone else write my speeches.”

Felicity’s small laugh gave him the courage to say what he really wanted to say. Looking down at their joined hands, he took a deep breath before looking back into her eyes. “But this was one speech I knew I had to write myself. Ever since the day I met you, you’ve been a light in my otherwise dark life. You always knew what to say to bring me back from the dark places. It’s because of you that I’m the man I am today and I can never repay you for that, no matter how much I might try. I know I make mistakes. I know I have a hard time letting people in, but you’ve done just that. You’ve become such an important part of my life that I can’t see a life without you in it. I’m not perfect. I have… a lot of issues that I’m still working out, but I know, with you beside me, I can get through anything. I can be the man you want me to be, but I can’t do it alone. I need you, Felicity. You are the light that guides my way. Without you, I flounder in the darkness. Without you… I am… incomplete. I always want you there, beside me, in everything I do as a friend… a partner… a wife. I love you, Felicity Smoak and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much.”

Felicity could feel the tears sliding down her face as he spoke. She couldn’t pull her hands away from his if she tried. She had a vice grip on his hands as he spoke of undying love and commitment. The smile that grew on her face was the first genuine smile she had allowed herself since she walked out of their loft. The amount of love she had for the man in front of her swelled in her chest and all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and never let go.

“Oliver…”

Felicity didn’t get to say anything more as the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air caught their attention. Oliver didn’t hesitate to grab onto Felicity and push her to the ground, crouching in front of her to protect her from any assault. Looking up at the wall, Oliver could see the arrow protruding, right at the spot where Felicity once stood. He had to get her out of there.

Thea and John had seen the arrow as well, causing Thea to join them on the stage while John looked around, trying to figure out from where the arrow had come. When another arrow flew through the air, Oliver grabbed a flower stand and used it to knock the arrow from it’s flight path. That arrow was enough for John to get a location as he pulled out his weapon and started firing. That gave Oliver the chance he needed to get Felicity out of the crosshairs. Grabbing onto her arms, he pulled her up and lead her out of the room with Thea close behind. Making their way to the room where Felicity had gotten ready, he quickly grabbed his duffle and headed for the door. Before he made it out, he felt a hand on his arm as he looked to see a very concerned Felicity.

“Be careful.”

Taking a chance, Oliver reached over and cupped her face, leaning down to her and placing a hard, but quick kiss on her lips. “Stay here.”

Felicity just nodded as she reached up to grip his wrist. As he pulled away, he looked to Thea who gave him an understanding nod. She would protect her. Felicity gripped his hand as it slid past hers before having to release it as he headed for the door.

John finally made it to where he had seen the arrows fly and saw blood staining the carpet. She had been hit which meant she would be leaving a trail. As he looked around, he saw more blood trailing off down the hall.

“I don’t have her,” he said over the comms, “but she’s wounded.”

“Copy that,” Lyla answered as she led her team towards his location. As they turned the corner, an arrow shot out and impaled on of the ARGUS agents in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Lyla backed around a corner for a moment before sticking her head out to see that Carrie was gone. “Target sighted at the north west corner.”

“I’m on my way.” Oliver moved quickly after changing into his gear. He could tell where she was going and he wasn’t going to let her escape this time. When he heard the sound of more arrows flying, he knew he was getting closer. Turning the corner, he saw the emergency exit door open and two ARGUS agents down. Seeing that they were moving, Oliver ran out the door and looked around, catching sight of Carrie as she ran down the alleyway. He saw her climb to a fire escape, heading up the side of an adjacent building. Nocking a grappling arrow, he launched it at the same building and pulled himself up, getting to the top before Carrie had noticed. Looking down at the fire escape, he could see her still climbing as he dropped down to the highest level. On hearing him land, she paused and looked up only to find him coming down to her.

“I won’t go back!” she spat as he made his way down to her level.

“Carrie, you need to stop,” he told her, his voice modulated to a deep tone. “Just let me help you.”

Letting out a yell, Carrie launched herself at Oliver. She swung her bow at him, which he quickly deflected, causing the weapon to fall from her hand. When she took a swing at him, he deflected her movement, but her momentum carried her to the edge of the fire escape. As she looked over the edge, she knew she wasn’t left with many options.

“They think I’m crazy!” she yelled. “I’m so sick of doctors telling me I’m crazy!” Looking over the edge of the fire escape, she knew what she had to do. “I can be with him again,” she realized as she swung her legs over the railing. Oliver quickly dropped his bow and ran towards her just as she released her hands and started to fall. Reaching over the railing, he grabbed her hand, holding on with all of his strength. A look of surprise came over her face as she looked up at him and smiled. As she reached up with her other hand, he reached down and grabbed her, pulling her up and back over the railing. Once she was back on her feet, she smiled brightly at him and didn’t let go of his hands.

“You saved me,” she sighed.

Oliver held in his groan as he looked at her love-sick face. Here we go again.

>>>\-------------->

John waited impatiently for Lyla to return. He knew she was getting Carrie locked back up again, but every moment he was away from her felt like an eternity. Walking over to his daughter’s bed, he smiled as he leaned down and gently stroked her hair. It was late and she was long asleep, but he had to see her again.

The sound of the apartment door opening got his attention as he got up and quietly closed his daughter’s door. Walking back out into the main living space, he smiled as he saw his wife putting down her things on the counter. Making his way over to her, he wrapped his arms around her back and kissed the top of her head.

“Everything all set at ARGUS?” he asked as he loosened his grip and let her turn to face him.

“Everyone is back where they belong,” she confirmed. “Although, she did ask for a picture of her latest hero.”

John let out a small laugh as he rolled his eyes. “I’m sure Oliver would love to hear that.”

“How did they handle it?” she asked, looking at John with concern. “It seemed like there was quite a while between when I heard the music start and when I heard your shots.”

John sighed as he pulled away and took her hand, leading her over to the couch. “It was hard,” he admitted as he sat down and pulled her down with him. “Seeing those two have to go through something like this… it doesn’t seem fair after everything they’ve been through.”

“It doesn’t have to be hard,” Lyla told him as she leaned against his arm. “You can tell they still love each other.”

“Yes,” he confirmed as he entwined their fingers together, “but there’s a lot of hurt still going on. You saw how Felicity was when she came over after they broke up. It’s going to take her a while to get over that, but I think Oliver is going to try to help.”

“How can he help?” Lyla asked. “Isn’t he the cause of it?”

“He is, but you should have heard him up there, Lyla. He basically said his wedding vows to her in front of everyone. That boy may be stupid, but he’s stupid in love with Felicity. I only hope that one day he’ll figure out what he needs to do to get her back because right now, they’re both miserable.”

Lyla sighed as she snuggled up closer to him. “Promise me we’ll never have to deal with that.”

John leaned over and kissed her forehead as he squeezed her tightly. “I promise.”

>>>\-------------->

Oliver continued to write in his journal as he stretched out on the couch. It was Felicity who got him into writing his thoughts down since he frequently had trouble finding the right words. As he wrote down the events from the day, he found himself going back and re-reading some of the entries from the beginning of the book. A smile came over his face as he remembered the events logged there from their summer away. Their trip was the highlight of his life… up until he saw Felicity in a wedding dress.

Letting out a sigh, he dropped the journal onto his chest and remembered how she looked. She was breathtaking and she was walking down to him. Closing his eyes, he fantasized about one day having her walk down to him with a big smile on her face, telling him how much she loved him, and allowing him to put a ring on her finger. As his eyes opened, his smile faded as he sensed the loneliness in the loft. He had to find some way of getting her back.

A soft knock on the door got his attention as he placed the book on the table and got up. It was late so he wasn’t sure who would be coming over. He could see the outline of someone small through the frosted window meaning it could only be one person: Thea.

As he opened the door, he stopped when he saw the one person he never expected to see.

“Felicity…”

He just stood there frozen for a moment as she gave him a small smile and a soft “Hello”. Looking around him expectantly, she gestured into the apartment. “Can I come in?”

“Huh? Oh… yes, of course!” Opening the door farther, he moved aside as she smiled nervously and walked in. Closing the door behind her, he just looked at her for a moment, not really sure what to do.

“Do you um… want some… coffee?” he asked, as he gestured to the kitchen.

“No, I’m fine,” she replied, as she looked around the once-familiar place. Her gaze stopped when she saw a picture taken from when they were in Bali. Walking over to it, she gently picked it up as a sudden sadness swept over her. She didn’t expect him to still have the pictures out.

“Is anything wrong?” Oliver asked, curious as to why she had stopped by so late.

Felicity laughed sadly as she put the picture back down and turned back to him. “I think a better question would be is anything _not_ wrong,” she corrected as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Felicity…”

“No, I’m sorry, Oliver,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Letting out a breath, she tried to center her thoughts. “Did Lyla get Carrie straightened away?”

“Yes,” Oliver acknowledged, “but apparently now she thinks she’s in love with the Green Arrow.”

“Well, she’s in good company,” Felicity said without thinking. “I mean… it’s better for her to have a thing for you than to be going around killing people.”

“I would like to think I’m the lesser of two evils,” he teased as a small smile graced his face.

“Not evil,” she corrected. “Just… difficult.”

Oliver nodded as he looked down at his feet. “I wanted to… apologize for what happened today. The vows thing. I was… caught off guard.”

Felicity felt her heart drop as she gripped her arms tighter. “So… you didn’t mean any of that?”

“No,” Oliver explained as he looked back up and took a step closer to her. “I meant it. I just… I don’t want you to feel pressured to do anything. I know you wanted some space and I’m trying to give it to you. I just… I guess I got caught up in the moment.”

“Yeah, that can happen,” she agreed as she let her arms fall to her side. “Weddings can be very emotional.”

“Especially your own.”

“Yeah.”

“And I’m… sorry about… kissing you like that,” he continued.

“I’m not.”

Oliver looked at her in surprise as he stepped a bit closer. “You aren’t?”

“No,” she replied as a smile came across her face. “I’ve missed kissing you. It was nice.”

“Oh. Ok then.” Oliver shoved his hands in his pocket as he stood there awkwardly. “So… is there something you wanted to talk about?”

Oliver looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say what she had come to say. She had come to him, so there must have been something on her mind. Before he knew what was happening, Felicity walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down until his lips met hers. Once he realized what she was doing, he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her to him, holding her as close as he could. When she finally pulled back, they were both breathing heavily as he leaned his forehead onto hers.

“I’ve missed you,” she said softly as she ran her hand across his face. “I didn’t really realize how much until you kissed me before.”

Oliver let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I’ve missed you too. So very much…”

“I hate being away from you,” she admitted. “I hate not being able to talk to you, to touch you. Things are always so awkward down in the lair and I hate it.”

“Then come home,” he begged, pulling back to look her in the eyes as her hands slid down to his chest. “Please, Felicity. It doesn’t feel right living here without you. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I don’t even cook anymore.”

“Now that is a real shame,” she teased as she looked up at him with a smile. “Your cooking skills should never be wasted.”

“Cooking reminds me of you,” he admitted. “I know how much you loved my cooking and I just can’t do it without thinking about you.”

Felicity sighed as she looked down at her hands on his chest. “I don’t know if my heart can take anymore pain,” she admitted.

“It won’t have to,” he said with confidence as he reached up to cup her face in his hands. “I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes. I have trust issues, you know that. But you also know me better than anyone ever has. If something doesn’t seem right, call me on it. You know when I’m holding back. Don’t let me. I want to be there with you every step of the way, but I need your help to do it. I love you, Felicity. That will never change, no matter what you decide.”

Felicity smiled as she reached up to touch his face. “For a man who isn’t good with words, you sure know the right ones to say.”

A tentative smile came over his face as he looked down at her. “Does that mean you’ll stay?”

Felicity considering it for a moment before smiling even bigger. “Yes, I’ll stay.”

Oliver let out a sigh of deep relief as he leaned down and pressed a kiss into her forehead before wrapping his arms around her tightly. Leaning down to her shoulder, he buried his face in her neck as he breathed deeply, trying to hold in his emotions.

Felicity hated to ruin their moment, but she had to make sure he was clear what this meant. “Oliver…” Pulling back from him slightly, she stayed in his arms as she looked into his eyes. “I’ll come back, but this does not mean the wedding is back on. We still have a lot of issues to work through before that can happen.”

Oliver nodded in understanding as he reached up to cup her face. Leaning down to her, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, putting everything he felt into that one moment. When he felt her respond in kind, he knew that this was the start of something even better than before and he was not going to mess it up.

>>>\-------------->

She could hear the other prisoners as the guards made their rounds. It didn’t bother her like it had in the past. No, now she had something to look forward to. Looking at the picture on her wall, she sighed and kissed her hand before pressing it against the photograph. She couldn’t see his face under his green hood, but she knew who he was. He was her one true love. The only one who mattered and one day, she would make him the happiest man alive. She would get out of her prison and find her love, running off with him to start their lives together. He would wait for her, she knew he would. She knew he loved her too.

“Good night, lover,” she said as she leaned back on her bed. “I’ll see you soon… Oliver.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If only the writers would give us a happy episode ending. *sigh*
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
